Erwin Poliakoff
Contributor
My wife and I just returned from our first trip to Palau, where we went for a 10 day trip on the Ocean Hunter 3 liveaboard. We had a very good time, and the diving was good, but we really prefer the prettier reefs in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Fiji. We are glad the we went to try it, and it was a lot of fun. We started out after the air travel with 3 days at the Palau Pacific Resort. It was a nice resort, but on the expensive side for what it was. I did not really sample much of it, though, as I got sick on the flight over. I was not impressed with the main restaurant, as the food was pretty bland. Pickup by the boat was handled well. There were only ten of us diving on the boat, so it was not crowded at all. The dive operation and the crew on the boat (including the kitchen staff) were very good. We were satisfied with all of the main aspects of the liveaboard operation. The layout of the boat has one or two minor quirks, but nothing major to complain about. The lounge is separated from the dining area, and as a result, the guests rarely take advantage of the lounge (which was very nice). The other minor criticism is that the legs for the tables in the dining area are poorly positioned, making it very difficult to get in and out of your seat. The food and operation of the liveaboard were very good, though.
The diving was good, although the conditions were not great while we were on the boat. The water temperature was usually 80-82F (27-28C), but the currents were strange, and there was some VERY cold thermoclines, resulting in water temperatures as low as 69F (21C). Also, the water visibility was mediocre at best, with typical vis in the 50 ft range. People on the boat who had been to Palau previously said that these conditions were atypical; normally, visibility is over 100 ft, and the water temperature is typically 82F and pretty constant.
The dives featured lots of sharks, turtles, bumphead parrotfish, napoleon wrasse, and jacks. We also saw a good number of manta rays, particular at sites around the German Channel. The reefs were pretty healthy, but there was not much in the way of pretty and colorful soft corals, and this was a major drawback for me. Again, this is a matter of personal taste. Here are a few pictures to give a sense of what the diving was like.
31_DSC_0021-2 colorful shipwreck in palau by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
21_DSC_0317 Napoleon wrasse by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
27_DSC_0459 by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
08_DSC_0126-2 cabbage coral by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
03_DSC_0208 manta ray by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
07_DSC_0598 by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
05_DSC_0089 (2) by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
25_DSC_0505 by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
01_DSC_0266 by Erwin Poliakoff, on Flickr
and the whole photo album can be found here: Palau 2019 photo album
The diving was good, although the conditions were not great while we were on the boat. The water temperature was usually 80-82F (27-28C), but the currents were strange, and there was some VERY cold thermoclines, resulting in water temperatures as low as 69F (21C). Also, the water visibility was mediocre at best, with typical vis in the 50 ft range. People on the boat who had been to Palau previously said that these conditions were atypical; normally, visibility is over 100 ft, and the water temperature is typically 82F and pretty constant.
The dives featured lots of sharks, turtles, bumphead parrotfish, napoleon wrasse, and jacks. We also saw a good number of manta rays, particular at sites around the German Channel. The reefs were pretty healthy, but there was not much in the way of pretty and colorful soft corals, and this was a major drawback for me. Again, this is a matter of personal taste. Here are a few pictures to give a sense of what the diving was like.
and the whole photo album can be found here: Palau 2019 photo album
